the austerity program, day forty-seven–a job, but it’s not over yet

A lot has happened since I last wrote. The interview my husband had had turned into a no, but he didn’t stop there. The firm was worried that someone with his experience wouldn’t be willing to take the pay they were offering. So he pressed them, saying he’d be willing to take a reduction in order to work for them. After a lot of agonizing days and nights, the word finally came down that they would hire him, but the pay was woefully low. So low, in fact, that it was much less than he used to make, and he was underpaid then. After some more agonizing days and nights and making a counter offer, the firm agreed to up the salary by a few thousand dollars more. Even though it is still a lowball offer, my husband accepted, worried that another job may never come his way, or not in the near future anyway.

So, this is how it goes: One day you’re up, the next you’re down. Up and down, up and down, and then things are on an even keel, steady as she goes.

Because we’re down a significant amount of income, I will have to work extra hard to try to make up the difference, and that will be a test for me, but I’m up for the challenge. I’d love, however, for one day to not have to worry about money, not have to care how much a car repair or a home renovation costs before making up my mind to do it. I’d like to not have to juggle money between accounts to pay for heavier than usual bills in certain months. Or, scrutinize every discretionary expense over $20. I’d like to maybe get my hair cut more than twice a year (I trim it myself between cuts) and take a much-needed trip on occasion.

But there are people who have it much worse, who work hard and still can’t ever take that occasional vacation or who have no money to juggle between accounts, or who are disabled and can’t make a living. For having what I have, I am grateful. I am thankful too that I grew up in a family that had the discipline to save money, however little that was coming in every month.

So for now, I will continue the austerity program until the paychecks beef up, because the important thing is that there will indeed be regular paychecks.